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The global financial crisis has induced a series of failures of most conventional banks. This study investigates the main sources of banking fragility. We use a sample of 49 banks operating in the Tunisian over the period 2006-2015 to analyze the relationship between credit risk and liquidity risk and its impact on bank stability. Our results show that credit risk and liquidity risk do not have an economically meaningful reciprocal contemporaneous or time-lagged relationship. However, both risks separately affect bank stability and their interaction contributes to bank instability. These findings provide bank managers with more understanding of bank risk and serve as an underpinning for recent regulatory efforts aimed at strengthening the joint risk management of liquidity and credit risks.

The evolution of the banking regulatory environment in recent years raises many questions about the effectiveness of prudential measures and the relevance of the legal system in this new landscape. The Cooke ratio, replaced in 2003 by the Mc Donough ratio, has since become an international benchmark for banks. Banks that are less risky and comply with prudential standards are solvent. Thus, with their compliance with prudential standards, Tunisian commercial banks are relatively safe from risks. From a sample of 10 commercial banks between 2007 and 2015, we studied the impact of compliance with prudential standards on the solvency of the banking institution. To do this, we based on the studies of Kefi and Maraghni (2011). Indeed, we have made estimates on panel data, these results show that the ratio of liquidity, interest rate risk ratio and Return on assets have positive and significant effects on the risk coverage ratio.

Background: Pre-labour Rupture of Membranes (PROM) contributes immensely to the potential risk of maternal morbidity and mortality., Objective: To explore the incidence and management outcome of PROM at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital (LTH), Ogbomoso, Nigeria., Methods: A retrospective study of 61 cases of PROM managed at LTH, Ogbomoso over a 3-year period. Information on the socio-demographics and obstetrics characteristics, management instituted, and outcomes were obtained using a structured proforma. Data were analysed using SPSS version 20. Level of statistical significance was set at <0.05 and 95% confidence interval., Results: The incidence of PROM was 4.1% with a perinatal mortality rate of 0.18 per 1000 deliveries. Twenty (33%) were pre-term while 41 (67%) were term PROM with 10% of the perinatal death occurring among those with preterm PROM. The mean age of the women was 36.9 (SD=2.1) years and median parity of 1(range 1-5) children. There was a significant association between the women's gestational age at which PROM occurred with the latency period (p< 0.001). Fetal birth weight, APGAR score and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) admission were all significantly associated with the gestational age at which PROM occurred (p<0.05). There was a significant difference between the intervention instituted and mode of delivery (p=0.009)., Conclusion: The incidence of PROM at term was high and conservative/ expectant management was effective. The latency period and fetal outcomes such as birth weight, apgar score and NICU admission were determined by the gestational age at which PROM occurred., (© Association of Resident Doctors, UCH, Ibadan.)

Background: Culture has been known to influence practices and beliefs of people world over. Several cultural practices have been noted among pregnant women who were passed from one generation to the next with its potential harmful and beneficial effect. The use of safety pin in is one of such cultural practices that are widely practiced by many pregnant Nigerian women., Objective: We sought to gain a deeper understanding of the source of knowledge and motivation behind the use of safety pin on garments during pregnancy as well as explore potential harmful side effects of this cultural practice., Methodology: A total of 419 pregnant women completed questionnaires for a hospital-based cross-sectional study. Safety pin knowledge and motivation for use on garments were assessed using a pre-tested 16 item questionnaire. Consenting women either completed a self-administered structured questionnaire or utilized the help of trained research assistants. Chi-square tests were used to assess relationships between safety pin use on garments and predictor variables. Analysis was done with Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 17., Results: Of 419 participants, over half (n = 227) reported safety pin use on garments in pregnancy. About two-thirds (n = 177) of women who use safety pin reported older female relatives as their source of information. The mean age of the participants was 29.1 ± 5.74 (range 16-45 years). Traditional religion worshippers were more likely (81.2%) and Christians were least likely to use safety pin (50.7%) during pregnancy. Pregnant women with a tertiary education (50.4%) were least likely to use safety pin compared with women with no or less than a tertiary level of education. Protection of pregnancy against demons/witchcrafts was the reason given by 129 (56.8%) of participants using safety pin in pregnancy., Conclusion: The use of safety pin on garments during pregnancy is a common cultural practice in southwest Nigeria. Our findings also suggest that religion and education are important determinants of safety pin use. Although our study did not find a statistically significant difference in safety pin prick incidents among safety pin users, it remains a potential source of harm. Thus, there is a need to establish community and hospital based strategies that address potential cultural harmful practices while promoting culturally appropriate healthcare services., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest in this work

Objective: To compare the expression of estrogen receptor α (ERα) and progesterone receptor (PR) in myometrium and leiomyomata tissue, and to correlate their expression with symptoms of uterine leiomyomata., Methods: In a cross-sectional study, intraoperative biopsy samples of leiomyomata and adjacent myometrial specimens were obtained from premenopausal women with uterine leiomyomata treated at a center in Nigeria between September 2013 and August 2014. Immunohistochemistry for ERα and PR expression was performed on the samples. The immunoscores of both receptors were correlated with the size and symptoms of the leiomyomata., Results: Among 60 pairs of samples, leiomyomata had a higher mean expression of ERα (H-score 193.42±64.55 vs 153.29±69.13; P=0.01) and PR (214.86±66.56 vs 171.53±63.53; P<0.001) than did myometrial tissues. The tumor diameter correlated negatively with the immunoscores of both receptors irrespective of age, parity, and body mass index, but this was only significant for PR (ρ=-0.44; P<0.001). Downregulation of PR on leiomyomata was predicted to occur at a diameter of 11cm. Menorrhagia, dysmenorrhea, and infertility occurred independently of steroid-receptor expression., Conclusion: Leiomyomata seem to depend on steroid hormones, but only during early tumor development. This could have implications for the selection of patients for medical management, especially with steroid-receptor modulators., (Copyright © 2016 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)